LOSCC vs VMCC.

Report vs VMCC

Match Report
Date 26/08/12 
Oppo – VMCC (h)
Type – 40 Overs
Report by Wes D'Oppo.

The O’s got back to winning ways snatching a victory from the gaping jaws of defeat against a very enthusiastically 
vocal VMCC team. With only four of the VMCC team at the ground at the allocated start time, a few more players 
wandering towards Barkingside, and a further four that would turn up after a wedding celebration, it was decided that 
VMCC would bat first, after a delayed start. 

The Auton brothers opened the bowling quite tidily, and Harry took the first scalp by way of Kirti, who was brilliantly
caught one-handed by Sulosen diving across the slip cauldron. VMCC struggled to get into a rhythm as Alan Wicks 
tightened things up by taking two wickets, until Ankit arrived at the crease and started to knock the ball about. 
Wicks and Riches bowled well to restrict the run rate, both taking two wickets in their eight over spells, but Ankit 
kept the pressure on. Martin Runeckles had a disastrous first over, and having been hit for six by Ankit of the first 
ball of his second over, he kept his cool and bowled a straight one which tricked Ankit into chipping one up in the 
air. Again ‘Superman’ Sulosen ran from behind the stumps to what seemed like somewhere  near deep mid-wicket to take 
the catch. The tail end fell apart with Oliver Graham running out two batsmen, one being a direct hit with the Oliver 
Graham ‘Surface to Air Missile’ system borrowed from the Army in between Olympics. The innings complete, VMCC were 
all out for 150, perhaps 50 more than they should have got had Runeckles taken an earlier catch from Ankit, when the 
ball went high in the air and as it came down towards the O’s resident magician, he waved both hands at the ball 
shouting ‘Alakazam’ and ‘Hey Presto’ , but the ball would not slow down and stop. Instead it came crashing into his 
hands and bounced out. He relented into the dressing room to check his Hogwarts manual.

The teams left the field for tea, more delay as the opposition really seemed baffled by what to do.
As they couldn’t seem to find the dressing room in the first place and changed outside the pavilion, it wasn’t 
entirely surprising that they couldn’t find the teas that Beryl had lovingly prepared all afternoon. It also became 
evident, mainly from the steam coming out of Liam’s ears, that early on that morning he had a call from VMCC asking 
him to find some players for them. Having made calls and enquiries, he received a later call to say they were now all 
ok. An earlier call may have quelled things a little, perhaps! So with the messing about of the morning, the late 
arrivals, the interesting dress code of some of the oppo, the changing room fiasco, and also the fun and games with 
teas, it wasn’t surprising to see the veins pumping on Liam’s temple.

Skipper Heed thought it a good idea to open the batting with the ‘pumped-up’ Mulholland. Mistake.
Only his second first baller in fifty years playing for the O’s, the dressing room cleared quickly for his return. 
Even brother Vin watching from the pavilion thought it best to hide behind the bar and say nothing, but quietly 
snigger. The innings didn’t really improve much over the next seven overs, with a further four wickets falling for 24 
runs. The bowling of Gopi and Ankit was often unplayable with swing and seam movement. With the loss of Kumar, things 
really looked bad and a heavy defeat was looming. Then a partnership between ‘Superman’ Sulosen, who had earlier taken 
four catches behind the stumps, and Martin Riches started to blossom. Riches, always up for a scrap, dug in well and 
would not give his wicket away easily, with Sulosen starting to play some fine shots. The partnership grew and the O’s 
began to believe victory was a possibility. By the time Sulosen was out for 61, they had put on a 6th wicket stand of 
105, breaking a 21 year old record. Shortly after, Riches was out lbw for 36, and with the light fading fast, 
Dan Auton went out, and shortly came back in after being bowled. He couldn’t see the ball it was so dark. At about 
7.40pm, Dave Revell went in to join Alan Wicks, neither able to see the ball, so sensibly swung the bat through the 
line of the reasonably accurate bowlers, and by the time the game finished with Dave Revell hitting the winning runs, 
the time was ten to eight, and it was dark. Even the park wardens were locking up the gates just ten minutes after 
the finish. A bottle of lager and a can of Vimto later, and the oppo had gone, leaving most of the O’s players to 
celebrate a very well earned and unexpected win.


 

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